Support apparatus

Abstract

A support apparatus includes: a protective frame connected body to hold a plurality of protection targets flexibly, each protection target being a flexible cable or pipe having one end connected to a fixed-side member and the other end connected to a movable-side member that moves relative to the fixed-side member, the protective frame connected body having a bending portion bent in a middle, an upper side and a lower side of the protective frame connected body overlapped vertically; a lower supporter to support the lower side of the protective frame connected body; and a plurality of upper supporters, each of the plurality of upper supporters supporting the upper side of the protective frame connected body at a predetermined position of the protective frame connected body and being moved by movement of the movable-side member to pass the bending portion without being in contact with the bending portion.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A support apparatus comprising:
 a protective frame connected body to hold a plurality of protection targets flexibly, each of the plurality of protection targets being a flexible cable or pipe having one end connected to a fixed-side member and the other end connected to a movable-side member that moves relative to the fixed-side member, the protective frame connected body including a plurality of protective frame bodies connected flexibly in an extending direction that is a direction in which the protection targets extend, each of the plurality of protective frame bodies having a plurality of holes to allow the plurality of protection targets to pass through and having a predetermined length in the extending direction, the protective frame connected body having a bending portion bent in a middle, an upper side and a lower side of the protective frame connected body being overlapped vertically; 
 a lower supporter to support the lower side of the protective frame connected body; 
 a plurality of upper supporters, each of the plurality of upper supporters supporting the upper side of the protective frame connected body at a predetermined position of the protective frame connected body and being moved by movement of the movable-side member to pass the bending portion without being in contact with the bending portion; 
 a plurality of detection sensors, each of the plurality of detection sensors to detect the bending portion present at a predetermined position relative to each of the plurality of upper supporters; and 
 an upper supporter opening/closing controller to move each of the plurality of upper supporters from a support position for supporting the upper side of the protective frame connected body to an open position that is a position never being in contact with the bending portion when the detection sensor detects that any of the plurality of the upper supporters supporting the upper side of the protective frame connected body is close to the bending portion, and to move the upper supporter to the support position when it is detected that the upper supporter in the open position is able to support the upper side of the protective frame connected body by moving to the support position, based on object detection information that is information indicating whether or not the bending portion detected by the detection sensor is present at the predetermined position. 
 
     
     
       2. The support apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the movable-side member moves rotationally, 
 the protective frame connected body is bent in an arc shape, 
 the lower supporter is provided in an arc shape, and 
 the plurality of upper supporters are provided to intersect the protective frame connected body in an arc shape. 
 
     
     
       3. The support apparatus according to  claim 2 , comprising two protective frame connected bodies,
 wherein the two protective frame connected bodies are arranged such that the bending portions of the two protective frame connected bodies are adjacent to each other. 
 
     
     
       4. The support apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the movable-side member moves linearly, 
 the lower supporter is provided linearly, and 
 the plurality of upper supporters are provided above the lower supporter. 
 
     
     
       5. The support apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of upper supporters is provided such that the upper supporter is pushed and moved by the bending portion being in contact, and that the upper supporter is able to pass the bending portion.